Speed through the airport like a celebrity

United Airlines has a program but limits it to VIPs. Spokesman Rahsaan Johnson refused to detail it, saying “the individuals who enjoy the service we are providing understand what it is.”

American and Delta also offer assistance on arrival, but the same fees have to be paid again. Agents assist with baggage and — at some airports — help passengers cut lines at immigration.

It’s as close as a passenger can come to a private jet, without shelling out $30,000.

“It’s just nice to have somebody there to almost hold your hand through the process,” says Stacy Small, president of Elite Travel International, who often books such assistance for her clients.

Mark Howitson, a lawyer from San Carlos, Calif., and former Facebook executive, is one of them.

When traveling with his wife and three children, he always pays extra for the assistance, if available. Not only do they skip to the front of every line and get help if there are delays but airline staff will find his kids the best seats in the terminal to watch planes take off.

“It just makes the whole thing so much less stressful,” Howitson, 40, says. “This is a cheaper alternative to flying in a private plane.”